Rheumatoid bursitis, unspecified knee

This code signifies an inflammatory condition affecting the bursae around the knee joint, specifically due to rheumatoid arthritis. It indicates the presence of bursitis as a manifestation of rheumatoid disease, without further specification of the laterality (right or left knee).

Apply this code when documentation clearly states "rheumatoid bursitis of the knee" and does not specify which knee is affected. This code is appropriate when the bursitis is directly attributed to the patient's underlying rheumatoid arthritis.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly links the bursitis to rheumatoid arthritis; otherwise, a non-rheumatoid bursitis code may be more appropriate.
• If laterality (right or left knee) is documented, use the more specific codes M06.261 or M06.262.
• Code the underlying rheumatoid arthritis (e.g., M05.xx or M06.xx) as the primary diagnosis if it is the reason for the encounter, with this code as a secondary diagnosis.